Youth gets probation for negligent homicide

Shesadri Kumar

Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, March 19, 2006

Vidush Rana of Sugar Land, now a second year student at the University of Texas at Austin, pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent homicide last week in the court of District Judge Brady Elliott in Fort Bend County.

Anish Patel, 15, and Nithil Esturi, 19, two of his friends were killed due to his reckless driving in June of 2004.

Five teens were in a car on Austin Parkway in Sugar Land on the way home from playing basketball. Rana was behind the wheel. He was doing 55 miles per hour and was weaving in and out, when he lost control and slammed into a tree on the median. The vehicle was thrown up in the air.

As family members of both Patel and Esturi felt that a harsh punishment would end the future of Rana and that would be as senseless as the death of their sons, they decided to give him a chance.

Prosecutor Jeff Strange said both the families were from the beginning not keen on punishing Rana disproportionately, though the prosecution had a case.

On Monday, March 13, Rana pleaded guilty Rana was given four years of deferred adjudication. He has to do 200 hours of community service. In the four years, he has to give at least 12 talks in high schools, explaining the dangers of reckless driving. He also has to pay the court costs.

That Rana is a straight a pre-med student played a part in the sentencing. becoming a doctor and help people.

The charge of negligent homicide would have brought a maximum of two years in state jail. If Rana, violates the conditions of the deferred adjudication, the judge can impose the maximum sentence.